General Motors (Eastern) TBM-3E Avenger

Specifications
Aircraft Type:	Torpedo Bomber
First Flight:	XTBF-1, August 1941
Wingspan:	54 feet 2 inches
Length:	40 feet 11.5 inches
Height:	16 feet 5 inches
Weight:	10,545 pounds
Capacity:	Three
Status:	Display - Flyable

Saddled with the dangerous job of pushing through enemy fighter protection, dodging a barrage of gunfire, and releasing a torpedo at “can’t miss” range, the Avenger was well armed and well armored. By war’s end, Avengers had sunk over 60 enemy ships, and participated in the destruction of the world’s largest battleship, the Yamato. In the 1950s, when Japan was allowed to rearm, one of the first aircraft the Japanese requested was the Avenger. President George H. W. Bush flew Avengers during World War II. This Avenger served the United States Navy from 1945 to 1956. Today, it wears the paint scheme of the Avengers that flew from the aircraft carrier USS Langley during World War II. This aircraft remains flyable today.